The Last Days of Western Steam From the Bill Reed Collection (In Full Colour)

This collection of over 150 colour photographs, which date from 1958 to 1967, features the Western Region of British Railways, formerly the territory of the Great Western Railway, and its motive power. Bill Reed took the pictures during a number of visits to stations, sheds, and to areas offering an attractive vantage point to shoot film. He has managed to capture a wide selection of the region’s locomotives, including: ‘King’ Class, ‘Hall’ Class, ‘Grange’ Class, and ‘County’ Class 4-6-0s; Churchward ‘4300’ Class 2-6-0s and ‘2800’ 2-8-0s; and Collett 2-6-2T, 0-4-2T, and 0-6-0PT designs. Also included are a few examples of Swidon’s diesel-hydraulic locomotives, gas turbine locomotive no. 18000, and an eight-car Blue Pullman set.

The engines have been photographed at a variety of locations spanning the Western Region: from Barmouth and Aberystwyth in north-west Wales to Whitland in the south-west, from Crewe in Cheshire to Wellington in Somerset, and from Oxford and Princes Risborough to London in the South East. The places most commonly associated with the Western Region are also featured, including Swindon (depot, station, and works), Bristol, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Truro, and Penzance.

Western Steam provides a broad view of the Western Region and the steam locomotives at work in the last years before the diesel takeover. The photographs are the product of Bill’s lifelong enthusiasm for steam locomotives; in partnership with Peter Tuffrey, he has made a significant contribution to preserving the memory of this golden age of British Railways.